Athletes’ summer preparations are usually beyond the attention of the press. However, it is now that the work is at its peak – the programs for the new seasons, normally secret until autumn, are now being created. I made it to the “Sokolniki” rink right when the 2008 bronze World medalists Yana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski conducted their last ice practice before a brief summer break.
The previous season was tough for the team – in March, literally days before the most important championship of the season, it turned out they would be the main representatives of the country, as the European champions Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin were forced to withdraw due to injury. I was planning to discuss this new experience with the skaters, when Yana suddenly started talking about her dissertation.
Sergei Novitksi and Yana Khokhlova are the only army duo at the upcoming world figure skating championships. They won the bronze at a recent European championship. After the emotions died down a bit, the CSKA.ru journalist talked to the athletes not about some skating intricacies, but about what matters most.
